Bassinet unit



April 28, 1942. s. K. HUMMEL ETA-L ET UNIT Filed Dec. 9, 1940 d m m m kJ Q 7%.

Patented Apr. 28, 1942 BASSINET UNIT Stuart K. Hummel, Joliet, and PerryW. Sworn, Chicago, Ill.

Application December 9, 1940, Serial No. 369,150

8 Claims.

This invention relates to bassinet units and related nursery equipment,and, among other objects, aims to provide a bassinet and dressing tableunit designed to reduce the hazard of infection and epidemic innurseries.

The nature of the invention may be readily understood by reference toone unit embodying the invention and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing.

In said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the unit; and

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the dressing table element drawn outfor use.

The illustrative unit is designed to prevent, in a practical way,contact of infants with common equipment in the nurser therebyminimizing the spread of infection and epidemic to which infants aremore readily susceptible than other persons. The problem presented byinfection and epidemic in nurseries cannot be practically solved merelyby multiplying present equipment to provide each infant in the nurserywith individual equipment. Lack of space, insufficient isolation, andother considerations preclude this. The illustrative unit not onlyprovides isolated individual equipment but is of such character that itmay be employed in existing nurseries without reduction in theircapacity or efiiciency.

As here shown, the top of the unit carries a depressed support If) forthe bassinet II surrounded by a rail or rim l2 to hold the bassinet inplace. The side rails it are located a substantial distance above thebassinet supports to prevent the bassinet from tipping over the siderails or otherwise falling. They are here shown as integral parts of thetubular supporting frame It, which may advantageously be formed ofstainless steel tubing or the like. One or both of the end rails 15,extending between the side rails, are located below the level of theside rails to serve as a support for tilting the bassinet at the properangle. For very young infants the bassinet is generally tilted headdown. In such tilted position the higher side rails prevent accidentalfalling of the bassinet.

Below the bassinet, the structure houses a constituent service elementI6 which may be drawn out when in use. At other times it is carriedbeneath the bassinet and in this condition the unit occupies no morenursery space than the racks or stands heretofore used to support thebassinets.

The service element when drawn out for use comprises a table or uppersurface I! on which the infant may be placed, and a subjacent structurefor readily accessible compartments l8 for the items required in thecare of the infant. A portion of the top of the service element may bedepressed to provide a compartment space or well 19 to hold receptaclesfor talcum powder and other medicaments, applicators, etc., in readilyaccessible position.

The service element is advantageously supported on guides 28, such asthe telescoping roller guides employed for file cabinet drawers, so thatit may be easily drawn out and returned to position beneath thebassinet. When drawn out in position for use, the compartments I8 alsomove out as a unit and are, therefore, just as accessible as in closedposition. If desired the service element may be designed to be drawn outof an end instead of a side of the unit as here shown. The compartmentsin the service element are here shown open at the end but they may beopen at the sides, and the tubular supporting frame It is such as toallow access to the compartments whether open at the end or sides inboth telescoped and extended positions.

The support It is advantageously open, in this case being formed by aseries of bars or rods 22, and permits access to the space H? even whenthe service element is telescoped below the bassinet. Offsets 23 in rods22 hold the bassinet to the rear and keep open the space abovecompartment IS.

The service element advantageously carries a supporting leg 24 toprevent tilting of the entire unit (if it be not otherwise anchored)when the service element has been drawn out. The unit may advantageouslybe supported on casters 25 so that it may be easily moved about. In thatevent, the leg 24 may also be provided with a caster. If desired, theleg may be arranged so as to be out of contact with the floor exceptwhen the service element has been drawn outwardly fully, thereby makingit more easy to move the unit about when closed.

The table I! may advantageously be provided with a low marginal rim orrail 26 to prevent the infant, who generally lies on a pad or othercloth, from slipping or falling oil the table. The rail 26 also servesas a handle for drawing out the service element.

As here shown, the compartment space is divided into four compartmentsfor convenient separation of various accessories. One of the uppercompartments may advantageously house a basin 2'! carried on a swingingsupport mounted at 28 to permit the basin to be swung out of thecompartment for use. The arrangement and number of compartments may bevaried if desired. They provide ample space to carry in convenientarrangement every item required in the care of the infant, therebymaking unnecessary any use whatever of common equipment. Regardless ofthe care exercised in sterilization, it has heretofore been impossibleby this means to check nursery epidemics. The only effective method isthe use of completely individual equip-- ment and supplies. The presentunit makes this practically possible.

Additional nursery floor space per infant is not required inasmuch asthis service element when extended only temporarily occupies additionalfloor space required for aisles, etc.

The illustrative unit is shown formed of metal fabricated byconventional methods. Wood and other materials may, however, be usedwith equal effectiveness. Whether made of metal or wood, the unit isquite light and may be easily moved about.

This application is a continuation in part of and a substitute for ourcopending application, Serial No. 252,354, filed January 23, 1939.

Obviously the invention is not limited to the details of theillustrative construction since these may be variously modified. It isnot indispensable that all features of the invention be used conjointlysince various features may be employed to advantage in difierentcombinations andsubcombinations.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. A bassinet unit for nurseries and the like comprising in combinationa generally rectangular frame having a top provided with an openingtherein and having bassinet supporting means adjacent said top, a rimcomprising side and end members extending about said top for retaining abassinet in place between said side members and permittingtilting of thebassinet by support of one end portion thereof on an end member of saidrim, a service element telescopically connected to said frame andretractible to a position within the frame beneath said supportingmeans, the top of said service element having a dressing table memberprovided with an. upstanding rim along its front or outer edge andhaving an adjacent depressed space open, at the top adapted to containarticles used while caring for an infant and positioned, while theservice element is retracted within said frame, below the opening in thetop of the frame so that said articles are accessible through saidopening, said service element being slidable outwardly to an extendedposition exposing said dressing table member for use and having belowits top a compartment movable with the dressing table memher andaccessible through an opening in a vertical wall of the service elementfor storing additional articles, and means supporting the front side ofthe service element against tilting when in its extended position.

2. A bassinet unit for nurseries and the like comprising in combinationa generally rectangu lar frame having a top provided with an openingtherein and having bassinet supporting means adjacent said top, a rimcomprising side and end members extending about said top for retaining abassinet in place between said side members and permitting tilting ofthe bassinet by support of one end portion thereof on an end member ofsaid rim, a service element telescopically oonnected to said frame andretractible to a position within the frame beneath said supportingmeans, the top of said service element having a dressing table memberprovided with an upstanding rim along its front or outer edge andhavingan adjacent depressed'space open at the top adapted to contain articlesused while caring for the infant and positioned, while the serviceelement is retracted within said frame, below the opening in the top ofthe frame so that said articles are accessible through said opening,said service element being slidable outwardly to an extended positionexposing said dressing table member for use and having below its top anadditional article storage compartment movable with the dressing tablemember and open at its front so as to be accessible from the front sideof th unit whether the service element is extended from the frame orretracted therein, and. means supporting'the front side of the serviceelement against tilting when in its extended position.

3. A bassinet unit for nurseries and the like comprising in combinationa generally rectangular frame having bassinet supporting means adjacentits top, a rim comprising side and end members extending about the topof the frame for retaining a bassinet in place between said side membersand permitting tilting of the bassinet by support of one end portionthereof on an end member of said rim, a service element telescopicallyconnected to said frame and retractible to a position within the framebeneath said supporting means, said service element having a top andhaving below said top a plurality of superposed compartments movable asa unit-and all open at a common side, the top of said service elementhaving a dressing table member provided with an upstanding rim along itsfront or outer edge and having an adjacent depressed space open at thetop for articles used while caring for an infant, said service elementbeing slidable outwardly to an extended position exposing said dressingtable member for use and said plurality of compartments being accessiblethrough an opening in a vertical wall of the service element for storingadditional articles, and means supporting the extended side of theservice element against tilting when in its extended position.

4. A bassinet unit for nurseries and the like comprising in combinationan outer framework formed of tubular frame members provided adj acentits top with a bassinet support, said frame having a rim comprising sidemembers and end members extending about said support and above the levelthereof, at least one of said end members being depressed below thelevel of said side members and being at a height to support an end ofthe bassinet in endwise tilted position, said side members being ofsufiicient height above the depressed end member to hold the bassinetagainst accidental displacement when tilted on said end member, anextensible service element below said bassinet support and within saidframe structure, said service element comprising a top and integralsubjacent open compartments for accessories, the top of said serviceelement having a dressing table, means for slidably mounting saidservice element in said framework to permit the dressing table togetherwith said subjacent compartments to be drawn as a unit from beneath saidbassinet support to expose the dressing table for use, a rail along thefront side of said service element to serve as a guard for said dressingtable and as a handle for sliding said service element, and means forslidably support ing the front end of said service element inextendedposition against tilting of the unit.

5. A bassinet unit for nurseries and the like comprising in combinationa generally skeletonized outer frame substantially rectangular in planhaving generally open skeletonized bassinet supporting means in itsupper portion wider from front t rear than the bassinet to be supportedthereon and including end rails above the plane of said means foroptionally tilting the bassinet supported on said means and one of saidend rails, a pair of side rails connecting said end rails and havingportions disposed above the level thereof, a service elementtelescopically connected to said frame and retractible to a positionwithin the frame beneath the supporting means, the top of said serviceelement having a dressing table member provided with a depressed spaceopen at the top adapted to contain articles used while caring for aninfant and readily accessible from the top while the service element isextended, means connected with the bassinet supporting means formaintaining said bassinet spaced from one of the side rails whereby thedepressed space in the table member is accessible through theskeletonized supporting means and between the bassinet and the lastnamed side rail when the service element is retracted, and a railextending along the front of said dressing table member and above thelevel thereof adapted to serve as a guard for the edge of the table whenthe service element is extended and adapted to be spaced from said lastnamed side rail of the frame, when the service element is retracted, toserve as a handle by which the service element may be extended.

6. A bassinet unit for nurseries and the like including in combination aplurality of end legs forming an outer framework, a bassinet support atthe upper portion of the framework and means connecting the legs at thelower portion of the framework, said framework having a relatively deepopen space extending from the support substantially to said connectingmeans and having end and side rim members connecting the legs above thelevel of the support for confining a bassinet thereon, a relatively deepservice unit movable in said open space of the framework and comprisinga unitary structure including a plurality of superposed compartments allopen at a common side and surmounted by a top adapted to serve as adressing table, said service unit substantially filling the open spaceof the framework, means comprising cooperating guide and support membersmounted on the framework and on the service unit for supporting theservice unit on the framework for extension and retraction of saidcompartments as a unit from and into said open space, a leg dependingfrom the service unit for supporting the same upon the floor when theunit is in extended position, and an elevated rail disposed along theouter side of the top of the service unit serving as a guard for saidtop when used as a dressing table and as a handle for moving the serviceunit to retracted and extended positions.

7. A bassinet unit for nurseries and the like including in combination aplurality of end legs, each having a caster, forming an outer frameworkhaving at its upper portion a bassinet support and having beneath saidsupport a relatively deep open space extending from the support to thelower portions of said legs, said framework having end and side rimmembers connecting the legs above the level of the bassinet support forconfining a bassinet thereon, a relatively deep service unit movable insaid open space of the framework and comprising a unitary structureincluding a plurality of superposed compartments all open at a commonside and surmounted by a top adapted to serve as a dressing table, saidservice unit substantially filling the open space of the framework,means connecting the service unit to the framework for sliding movementinto and out of said open space, an elevated rail disposed along theouter side of the top of the service unit serving as a guard for saidtop when used as a dressing table and as a handle for moving the serviceunit to retracted and extended positions, and a leg depending from theservice unit and having a caster adapted to engage the fioor and supportthe unit when extended and adapted to be disposed above the floor whenthe unit is retracted, thereby facilitating movement of the bassinetunit on the first named casters.

8. A bassinet unit for nurseries and the like including in combinationan outer framework having side rim members in its upper portion, aplurality of spaced bars connecting the side rim members and providing askeletonized support for a bassinet, said bars being offset adjacent oneof the side rim members for positioning a bassinet on the skeletonizedsupport closer to the other side rim member, a service unit mounted inthe framework beneath said skeletonized support for extension therefromand retraction thereinto, and a table member comprising the top of theservice unit provided with an open well for holding articles used whilecaring for an infant and positioned, when the service unit is within theframework, below the bassinet support, whereby when a bassinet which isnarrower than the distance between the side rim members is mounted onsaid skeletonized support said well is accessible through the spacebetween the bassinet and the adjacent side rim member and between two ofthe offset portions of said bars. STUART K. HUMMEL. PERRY W. SWERN.

